Complications
by VictoriaGrant
Summary: Maria Rainer is a debutant at the Vienna Opera Ball when she meets an old friend of her uncle, Captain von Trapp- no abbey, no wicked childhood, no social differences, what complications will await them instead? Please, please read and review!
1. Vienna Opera Ball I

_**Let´s see- forget about the wicked childhood and the social differences and about the abbey- all problems solved? You wish... Please read and review because it´s rather experimental and I´d love to know what you all think- thanks in advance, I hope you´ll enjoy it :D**_

"Oh, you are looking wonderful."

Maria Rainer turned around at the sound of her cousin´s excited voice.

"Thank you, Klara- you are looking so pretty, too- are we ready to go?"

"Yes, the car is here- I´m so excited, can you believe it? Our first ball- you really should have gone before, you shouldn´t have waited for me."

Maria shook her head.

"It will be so much more fun with you by my side."

Maria had been meant to be a debutant two years earlier but had decided to wait until her cousin was old enough to go as well.

Now the two young women were hurrying down the stairs of the Rainer´s house, holding their long white ball gowns up as they went.

The butler helped them into their coats and Maria let the way outside where Klara´s parents were already waiting for them.

"You are both looking perfect" Maria´s aunt gushed at the sight of them, her eyes tearful.

"My two little girls, all grown up and beautiful."

Klara blushed while Maria laughed out loud.

"Don´t cry aunt Katharina, we´ll always be your little girls."

Her uncle winked at her as he helped her into the car and Maria smiled back.

She was starting to feel very nervous but in a good thought of way, it was the kind of nervousness she had felt as a child on Christmas or her birthdays.

She felt as if she had walked into a dream as they entered the grand ballroom, everything seemed to sparkle and gleam like a Christmas tree.

"Oh, isn´t it all amazing?"

Klara whispered next to her, sounding breathless and Maria reached for the younger woman´s hand and squeezed it briefly.

"Yes, it is."

"I´m glad you´ve waited for me" her cousin told her warmly, "I don´t think I would have dared to go here alone."

Maria felt a wave of tenderness towards her cousin who had been like a sister to her ever since she had come to live at her uncle´s house after her parent´s death.

_Georg von Trapp was asking himself for the hundredth time what on earth had made him listening to Elsa Schräder and agree to attend the Vienna Opera Ball with her._

_The ball might have seemed like a grand event when his wife had still been alive, now it simply felt dull and he caught himself looking at his watch for the fifth time in ten minutes._

_Elsa was having the time of her life, clutching his arm and stirring him through his paces as though he was as how dog._

_He somehow couldn´t help but wonder what she saw in him, if she actually had feelings for him or if he was nothing more than a trophy, the highly decorated navy captain, old name, old money and, at least according to the female members of his social circle, remarkable good looks._

_He didn´t know what he was seeing in the baroness either- granted, she was a good looking woman, a respected member of Vienna´s society, charming, witty and their relationship was being watched fondly, yet Georg couldn´t say that he actually loved Elsa, he simply didn´t want to be alone anymore._

_"Darling, what´s the matter with you?"_

_Elsa´s voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned to her, attempting to smile._

_"I beg your pardon?"_

_"You are looking as though you were miles and miles away, Georg- what were you thinking about?"_

_"Oh, nothing in particular- are you enjoying yourself?"_

_"Oh yes, I am- do try and look a bit happier, Dear, I don´t want my friends to think that you are always so grumpy."_

_"I´m not grumpy, Elsa, I´m a serious person, that is an entirely different matter."_

_"Oh whatever, won´t you ask me to dance, Darling?"_

_Georg sighed, then nodded gravely._

_"But of course, Elsa."_


	2. Vienna Opera Ball II

**addlogcon: Thank you very much- sorry about that, I have too much to do right now, I´ll improve, promised ;) I was thinking twenty, so the kids will all be two years younger than in the movie- thanks so much for reviewing :D**

**ForeverJulie: Thank you for reviewing and for liking it of course :) Oh yeah, I bet she´s looking pretty gorgeous, just like him of course- so no, not movie time, about two years previous, I wanted the children a little younger, like Liesel not so grown up already and Gretel still really small, hope you don´t mind my little escapades... Here´s the next part now!**

**Diamond and Stars: Thank you- uhm yes, I think so, it´s easier to tell their POV´s apart then- at least I hope so- thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Handmade Freak: Hehe, thanks, I don´t do this often, so I thought I´d give it a try- thank you for the comment! **

Maria sank down on her chair, fanning herself as she reached for her water glass and her aunt smiled amusedly at her.

"Could it be that you have danced too long, my Dear?"

"Oh, I could never dance too long, I just needed some water- it is so incredibly wonderful- where is Klara?"

"She went out onto the terrace with young Klaus Weber, he seems very taken with her."

Her aunt informed her proudly and Maria laughed, feeling excited for her cousin.

She knew the young man from school and thought that he would be just perfect for Klara who had her heart set on getting married young, wished for a family of her own as soon as possible.

"The women´s dresses are all so exquisite, aren´t they?"

Maria sighed dreamily as she watched countless couples waltz around on the dance floor.

Her aunt nodded, her gaze following Maria´s, then she turned to her husband.

"Johann, look, there´s Georg von Trapp with Baroness Schräder, shouldn´t you go and say hello?"

Maria had head the Baron´s name before, he had been in the navy with her uncle and the two men had been close, despite their age difference.

"I don´t like to talk to Georg these days, it´s difficult, you know that, Katharina."

"Why is that?"

Maria asked, turning towards her uncle after trying and failing to make out which of the men standing over where her aunt was looking at was the Captain.

Johann Rainer leaned back in his chair and took another sip of wine before answering his niece´s question.

"He lost his wife some years ago, now he is alone with seven children and seems to have decided to shut himself away from the world."

"Oh, the poor man- what do you mean by that, though, he is here, isn´t he."

"Yes but he´s not really himself, he seems indifferent, cold even, he´s not letting anyone get close to him anymore, that´s the only reason I can see why he can stand the company of that horrible, gossiping woman."

"Johann!"

Katharina Rainer sounded indignant as she addressed her husband.

"Elsa is a very respected woman."

"You mean she´s a very popular woman, due to the fact that she knows anything about anyone."

Maria´s uncle replied while Maria watched the exchange between her aunt and uncle with interest.

She felt instantly sympathetic towards the man she hadn´t even met and when her uncle finally agreed to go and greet his old friend she followed him without thinking twice about what she was doing, her curiosity getting the better of her as usual.

_"Georg?"_

_The baron actually smiled at the sound of Johann Rainer´s voice, finally a real friend amidst all these people he didn´t really care about._

_"Johann- it´s good to see you again."_

_"May I introduce my niece, Maria Rainer?"_

_Only now did Georg von Trapp notice the girl next to his friend but when he turned to her he wondered how he could not have done so instantly._

_She was very slim, clad in a white debutant´s dress though she seemed to be a little older than was usual a girl who attended her first grand ball, perhaps twenty- her large blue eyes were gleaming in the light coming from the chandeliers above, her blond hair looked as though it was molten gold._

_Her smile was radiant on her beautiful face, warm and real, nothing like Elsa´s forced friendliness and pompous manor._

_She was so lovely that Georg couldn´t tear his gaze away from her, even as she blushed and broke the eye contact with him._

_"It´s a pleasure to meet you, Fräulein Rainer" he told her, seizing her hand and bringing it up to his lips before finally looking at her uncle again._

_"Johann, would you mind if I stole the young lady away from you for a dance?"_

_"Not at all, Georg, I trust you to take good care of her" his friend laughed before turning away from him towards some fellow soldiers from their navy time Georg had been talking to previously._


	3. Vienna Opera Ball III

_ForeverJulie: I´m sorry it took so long this time- thanks very much for the review, oh, she´ll adore him of course ;)_

_Diamond and Stars: Thank you- a little bit of all of that and more- you´ll see lol- thank so much for reading and reviewing!_

_addlogcon: Thank you- aw, she´s just soooo cute, isn´t she- next part now!_

_Maria88: I´m really sorry, this one is longer and there´s Max in there, you know, for the fun factor ;) Thank you for the comment, enjoy!_

Maria held her breath as her uncle gave the Captain permission to dance with her, she had never seen a more handsome man than Georg von Trapp in her life and she knew what the way her heart was pounding in her chest meant accurately but it mustn´t, he was seeing someone and he was old enough to be her father, to him she must seem like a child, probably he had one her age and the only reason he had asked to dance with her was that he wanted to please her uncle.

"Fräulein Rainer, may I have this dance?"

He asked politely and she couldn´t do anything but nod, thinking how odd it was for her to be so shy, usually her biggest fault was that she couldn´t shut up for a second.

The Captain led her into a slow waltz, looking deeply into her eyes as he held her close to him.

"Are you enjoying the ball?"

He asked her and Maria nodded shyly.

"Very much so, it´s all so beautiful and so exciting- I was meant to attend two years ago already but I promised my cousin Klara I´d wait until she was old enough to go."

"I see- so you two must be very close."

"We are, she is like a sister to me, I have been living with my aunt and uncle ever since I was eight, my parents died in an accident."

"I´m sorry to hear that" the captain replied and Maria smiled.

"Thank you, I think I have learned to live with it."

His expression was hard to read and Maria thought that he must be thinking of his wife and that he obviously didn´t find it manageable to cope with his loss.

Maria decided that it would be good to change the topic and said "My uncle told me about your children- how old are they?"

He still sounded a little reluctant but at the same time glad about the change of topic.

"Liesl is fourteen, even though she insists on reminding everyone that she will be fifteen within the next month- then there´s Friedrich at twelve, Louisa who is eleven, Kurt is nine, Brigitta eight, Martha will be five next week- and Gretel, the youngest, is three."

"Five girls? Your sons must feel overwhelmed sometimes."

Georg couldn´t help but smile lightly, her girlish enthusiasm was enchanting and he almost forgot that he didn´t like to talk about his family or anything else that reminded him of Agathe, as a matter of fact.

"I suppose they do."

The dance ended and the Captain offered Maria his arm and led her back over to the table where Maria´s uncle had rejoined her aunt.

"Good evening" Georg greeted Katharina Rainer, bending over her hand and kissing it, then he smiled at Johann.

"Would you all care to come out to Salzburg on the weekend? The weather looks promising and the scenery is quite breathtaking at this time of the year."

"That would be wonderful" Maria´s aunt replied excitedly, "it would be so relaxing to get out of Vienna for some days, wouldn´t it, Johann?"

Her husband nodded.

"Thank you, Georg, we´d be very pleased to come."

"Fräulein Rainer?"

The Captain turned to Maria, hoping his voice wasn´t betraying his true intentions for this invitation, as much as he liked the idea of having his old friend and his wife visiting, he was hoping that Maria would decide to accompany them, even though he wasn´t sure what he was hoping to achieve- he was as good as engaged to the baroness and this lovely young girl most certainly had at least a dozen hopeful young suitors she could chose from and wouldn´t even look twice at a man his age who was not only widowed but had seven children at home.

"Well, I´d like to come, if it´s not too much trouble" she said, her dazzling smile back on her face and the Captain felt his heart beat a little faster inside his chest.

"Katharina, of course your daughter is included in this invitation."

"Thank you very much, Georg but Klara will want to stay in town, I have heard she invited young Klaus Weber over to tea on Sunday."

Maria´s aunt explained and Maria chuckled.

She was happy for her cousin but she couldn´t wait to tease her and knowing Klara she would blush furiously and start to defend herself in a most amusing way.

The Captain excused himself and Maria caught herself looking after him in a dreamy fashion until her aunt´s voice interrupted her thoughts.

"He´s a terrific dancer, isn´t he?"

"Oh, yes- where exactly is he living, the town of Salzburg or outside?"

"Outside by the lake- it´s a beautiful estate and I can´t wait to see the children again, we havn´t been out there in eight years, little Brigitta had just been born then."

"There you are, where have you been?"

Max Dettweiler clapped the Captain´s shoulder.

"I have been talking to Johann Rainer, I invited him and his family to Salzburg for the weekend."

The captain explained to his friend and Max nodded.

"Oh, that sounds like fun, I assume I can come too?"

"Would you take no for an answer?"

"No, of course not- I saw you dancing with Maria earlier."

He winked at him and Georg did his best to keep his face impressive.

"Johann introduced us and it seemed polite to ask her to dance."

"Always the gentleman, aren´t you- isn´t she lovely?"

"I didn´t know you knew them well" Georg tried to distract his friend.

"I do, other than you I attend every social event in Vienna and the Rainer´s are quite fond of having parties at their house- the girls are both very pretty and there are quite a few young men who´d give their right arm for an invitation."

"I see- excuse me, Max, I should go and find Elsa."

"You should?"

"Of course, I came here with her."

"So?"

Georg shook his head indignantly.

"You are impossible, Max, no wonder you never have anyone by your side."

"At least I never have to pretend to be interested in one woman when in truth another one has caught my eye."

"I have no idea what you are talking about" the Captain replied, doing his best to hide his discomfort.

Max laughed as he clapped his friend´s shoulder.

"Of course, old boy, I imagined the look on your face when you danced with a certain blond girl earlier."

"Come off it, Max, she´s barely older than Liesl, I could be her father."

"And what does that imply?"

"I´m too old for her."

"You rather think you are too old for her than that she is too young for you, doesn´t that strike you as strange?"

"Not at all- I really have to find Elsa, I will doubtlessly see you later."

"Most likely."


	4. Vienna Opera Ball IV

**I´m TERRIBLY sorry, I really forgot to formate the last part, so it wasn´t on purpose and I will take care not to let it happen again, promised!**

**addlogcon: Thank you- yes, I thought it was time for a first sight story again, I havn´t done that in ages ;) I´m glad you like it, it´s interesting to write, not sure where it´s going but I´ll work it out- here´s the next part now :D**

**ForeverJulie: Thank you very much- well, it´ll be a little troublesome for her but I think she´ll manage to work it out- later- much later- anyway, yes, I know what you mean but she´s still young so I´ll just make her wear nice, classic dirndl style dresses, I have a very soft spot for those anyway.**

**About that, I know, I´m so sorry, I shouldn´t try and write after midnight or at least not post- and yes, I mixed up the English and the Austrian spelling of their names, won´t happen again, again I´m very sorry, usually I´m not so lax when it comes to writing things correctly- the same about the layout, I forgot and realized it too late.**

**Maria88: Thanks a lot :D I know, the first two were short, I had to get into it a little bit more- please keep reading and reviewing, I´ll post the next part now.**

**Diamond and Stars: No, no you are right- like I said above, I forgot to formate- I´m sorry, it won´t happen again- and sorry again for the delay, graduation is upon me and it´s NOT funny- I hope the next part will make up for all the shortness, enjoy :D**

Maria smiled politely at the young man who had just escorted her back to her table without really seeing him, her thoughts were still too occupied by a certain handsome sea captain to care much about the hopeful young lads who kept asking her to dance with them.

Her cousin had gone out on the terrace with her young suitor and her aunt and uncle were dancing which left Maria alone at the table but she didn´t mind as she dreamily watched Baron von Trapp dancing with Baroness Schräder near by.

Maria only knew the woman by reputation and she couldn´t imagine what the Captain could see in her and while she was watching them Maria had the nagging feeling that something wasn´t right, they didn´t look at all like a couple in love, the baroness smiling rather smugly, the Captain with a far away look on his face.

Maria remembered the smile she had seen earlier while he had been dancing with her, he had looked much happier then- the thought made her blush, she was being silly, she probably had reminded him of his eldest daughter and that thought had made him smile so fondly at her, nothing more.

"Sweetheart, you couldn´t be more obvious" a jovial voice told her and she looked up to see Max Dettweiler standing next to her, an amused smile on his face.

"Hello, Max - what do you mean?"

She asked, tearing her eyes away from Georg von Trapp and smiling at her uncle´s friend.

"May I?"

He asked and when she nodded he sat down next to her.

"I think you know very well what I mean, my Dear but I have to warn you, Elsa is a nasty piece of work and she won´t like it at all when she notices you looking at her prey like that."

He chuckled at her confusion.

"Her- what do you mean by that?"

"Look at them- do they look like a happy couple to you?"

"Well, they look very-" Maria struggled to find a suitable word, "I mean they match nicely" she finally finished, making Max laugh even louder.

"That´s the best you can do, Maria? They match nicely? You are right though, that´s about the most positive thing you can say about them together- to Elsa he´s the catch of her life and to him- I don´t really know what she is to him, I suppose he doesn´t want to be alone anymore- or he tries to be away from home as often as he can, too many memories, you see."

"Yes but what about the children? They need him after all, he is all they have left."

"Don´t tell me that- they are great children, if they want to- most of the time they don´t want to though, they like to torture their governesses and Elsa refuses to go home with Georg whenever she can, she´s terrified of them."

"How can you be terrified of children?"

Maria asked, confused.

"They like to play tricks on their governesses and on Elsa, Georg forbid them to do it of course but they don´t always listen- so after Elsa ruined her most expensive silk dress last time she visited she told Georg that she would prefer he visit her in Vienna if he wants to see her."

"Oh- what happened?"

"I believe it had something to do with Louisa accidently knocking over Elsa´s wine glass at dinner."

"Red wine?"

"Of course- white one wouldn´t have been half as effective, unfortunately I missed it, it must have been a blast."

"You don´t like the baroness very much, do you?"

Max shrugged.

"Oh I like Elsa all right, she´s a typical Vienna society girl, she´s arrogant and she likes to gossip and she wouldn´t dream of doing anything that isn´t enjoyable for her- she´s not a bad person and she can be charming if she wants to but she isn´t the right woman for Georg von Trapp, let alone a suitable mother for his children- or any child at all, come to think of that."

"Max, you are horrible" Maria smiled and he laughed loudly.

"I´m sorry, Darling, I didn´t want to shock you- so we´ll see each other next weekend, I heard?"

"You mean you are coming too? Oh, I´m glad about that, you can protect me then."

"From the children?"

"Obviously- I admit you are having me rather worried now."

"Don´t worry, Darling, they will love you, everyone does, no one can help it."

"Oh please, you making me blush."

"Can I make it up to you by asking you for a dance?"

She accepted his hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor where they started to waltz and Maria couldn´t help but notice Elsa Schräder standing near the balcony doors, talking to some ladies including Maria´s aunt Katharina, the captain nowhere to be seen.

Maria looked back at Max and saw a flash of amusement cross his face before he took on a fake expression of disappointment.

"You are such a brute, Georg- can´t you ever let me have some fun without having to budge in?"

Maria shivered as she felt the warmth of the man´s body near to her and a moment later she heard his deep, melodic voice.

"I´m sorry, Max- now would you allow me?"

"You should leave that to the lady, Georg, where are your manors" Max teased his friend but Maria stood motionless, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Fräulein Rainer?"

She slowly lifted her gaze up to Caption von Trapp´s face.

She took his outstretched hand without speaking, she didn´t trust her voice to work properly right now.

She hardly noticed Max walk away from them as the captain put his arm around her waist, his hand holding her´s.

"I hope you hadn´t set your heart on dancing the whole dance with him" he said and Maria blushed, she didn´t know what to say, he was making her loose her head completely and she briefly closed her eyes, what was happening to her, she usually prided herself to be a very self esteemed young woman and now she was acting like a shy little girl.

"Max tells me he visits rather often" the captain stated and Maria nodded, glad that the conversation wasn´t turning in a personal one once more, talking about Max Dettweiler was something she would be able to do without embarrassing herself.

"He is a dear friend of my aunt and uncle and yes, I suppose he comes to stay often- he likes to be the center of parties, I take it you know that yourself."

The captain laughed softly, a warm, rich sound that made Maria shiver in a most pleasant way.

"I do know that indeed- I wonder if he spends all the time he doesn´t spend at my house at your´s then."

_Georg was so captured by her wonderful blue eyes, he hardly noticed anything around him anymore._

_He had waited for Elsa to finally leave him alone for a few minutes for more than two hours, he wanted, no, he needed to dance with Maria again, just to be close to her to convince himself that she wasn´t quite as pretty and lovely as she had seemed earlier but to his dismay she was- was he truly dismayed about it?_

_She smiled shyly up at him and Georg´s heart skipped a beat- oh dear Lord, this couldn´t be happening to him, why couldn´t he stick to women his own age, amongst those who considered him as the most eligible bachelor in Austria- but no, of course he couldn´t simply do that, he had to fall for a twenty year old girl._

_She would probably be disgusted when she realized the way he was thinking about her- and Georg didn´t even want to start imagining what Johann Rainer would say, should he notice that the captain was making advances on his niece._

_He spun her around and watched with baited breath as her dress twirled around her slender form._

_The dance finally ended and Georg was tempted to simply keep Maria in his arms and ignore the change of music but then his eyes caught Elsa´s across the room and the expression on her face reminded him that he had come here with her and as much as he wanted to forget about her and take the girl in his arms out for a moonlight stroll in the gardens, he ought to better remember it and not embarrass the baroness._

_"Thank you, you are a divine dancer."_

_She blushed at the complement and Georg lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly._

_He felt like drowning in her eyes and it took him all his self control to not simply pul her to him and kiss her but of course that was out of the question, not only because he couldn´t violate the poor girl like that but also because the woman he was probably supposed to be kissing was glaring icily at him from where she stood._

_"I will see you next weekend?"_

_He asked as he reluctantly let go of her hand._

_"Yes- of course."_

_"Very well- enjoy the rest of the night."_

_"Thank you, Captain."_

_She was pale but her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of pink and there was a nervous flickering in his eyes, if he had dared to think it possible, Georg von Trapp might have wondered if she was feeling the same way he was._

"Maria- there you are, where have you been?"

Maria was drawn from her dreamlike state by her cousin´s excited voice and she turned around to smile at Klara.

"Hello, I´m sorry, I was on the dance floor."

"With whom?"

Klara asked curiously, then added "I mean who has gotten you into this state?"

"What state?"

"Oh Maria, don´t deny it, you look as though you were floating on clouds- just like I feel, admit it, who is he?"

"Have you really invited Klaus for tea?"

Maria asked in an attempt to distract Klara but the younger girl didn´t go for it.

"Yes, I have but that´s not the point now, what happened to you? Or rather, who happened to you?"

"No one, Klara, you must be seeing things- now tell me, where is Klaus?"

"He had to leave early, he promised to visit his parents in the morning- I am so looking forward to the weekend, he is so- I don´t even have words to describe him, you know him well, don´t you, Maria?"

"Yes, I do, we were friends at school- he is a very sweet man, you two would make a perfect match."

"Thank you, Maria- are you sure you don´t want to tell me?"

Maria quietly shook her head and Klara sighed.

"Oh well, if you must keep your secret- Mother told me that Georg von Trapp invited us for the weekend, I can hardly remember when they have been out there for the last time- but then I was only ten I think, I wouldn´t have cared too much as to where they spend their weekend."

Ten- Klara was right of course, her aunt had said that they hadn´t visited the captain in eight years, since the birth of his fifth child, Brigitta if Maria remembered correctly- his fifth child when Maria had only been twelve- ´oh, stop dreaming, Maria´ she scolded herself, he already was a grown man when you hadn´t even been born.

"Maria?"

She looked up again, realizing that Klara still was waiting for an answer.

"I´m sorry- yes, he has though you will stay here and meet Klaus, won´t you?"

"Yes, of course I will but you are going, aren´t you- you have to tell me everything, is Baroness Schräder going to be there, too?"

Maria, flinched, she hadn´t thought about that yet, what if Elsa Schräder really was there- but then what did it matter if she was there or not, even if she was at Vienna she was holding the captain´s heart.

"Max Dettweiler told me she didn´t like to go out to Salzburg" she told Klara, "he said the children like to play tricks on her."

"Oh? I would have thought they´d be happy to have a new woman in the house, the baroness is nice, isn´t she?"

"I wouldn´t know, I have never talked to her."

"Is it true the captain danced with you?"

Klara asked next, her eyes sparkling with excitement and Maria quickly nodded, hoping that her cousin would change the topic of their conversation but of course it was all far too interesting for Klara.

"How lucky you are, I hear he almost never dances at all."

"He danced with me twice" Maria had said without thinking, then she regretted it instantly when Klara´s eyes widened.

"No- really? But- Maria, are you looking so dreamy because of Captain von Trapp?"

Her voice had become quieter so that only Maria could hear her and Maria knew she was blushing and that her cousin could read her like an open book.

"But Maria- he- he is seeing the baroness."

"I do know that- it´s nothing, Klara, I suppose I´m just tired from dancing all night."

"No, you are not- you are all dreamy eyed and you are blushing, you are thinking of him even now but you mustn´t, do you hear me?"

"Why aren´t you girls dancing anymore?"

Johann Rainer had stepped up to them, a bright smile on his face at the sight of his daughter and niece.

"We needed a little break" Maria hastily explained while Klara still looked worried.

"I see- well, why don´t you come back to the table for a moment then, I am sure your mother will want to know all about every single man you have danced with."

He winked at them but Maria didn´t feel very happy about that prospect.

They followed over to the table anyway and greeted Katharina Rainer before sitting down.

Maria was relieved when Klara started talking about Klaus straight away, leaving Maria to dream a little more.

Finally she excused herself and walked over to the open balcony doors and outside onto the terrace- there weren´t many people outside but Maria didn´t mind, she wanted to be alone for a moment and she leaned against the banisters, drawing a deep breath.

"Should you be out here all by yourself?"

Maria slowly turned around again, her heart once again beating very fast and unsteady as she faced him yet again, her gaze traveling over his handsome face up to his dark blue eyes.

"I´m not by myself" she replied, leaving it to him to whom she was referring, him or the few other people on the terrace but he didn´t seem to mind.

"Not anymore- why are you out here?"

"I wanted some fresh air, it is too hot inside."

"It always gets that way, too many people, no open windows- I detest it."

"You do? I thought everyone had to love it."

He shrugged as he leaned against the banisters next to her.

"I suppose so, it´s probably just me- I don´t feel comfortable in such large crowds, it is too noisy and most people are awfully dull, you will notice in time, once you have attended enough balls to last you a life time."

He was doing it again, reminding her how very young and inexperienced she was and how old and wise he was in compare- he didn´t look old she though as she watched him, rather stern- she wondered how he would look laughing loudly about something but she could hardly remember him doing it.

And yet it intrigued her, there was something dark about him, something dangerous and tragical that drew Maria to him, she longed to ease his pain, show him how much joy there could be in life but what could she possibly tell him about life, he had seen so many things and she hadn´t seen anything yet.


	5. Vienna Opera Ball V

**ForeverJulie: Thank you very much- well, his sarcasm is the most interesting thing about his character for me and I fully intend to explore it further in here ;) I simply wanted to have them meet under different circumstances so I could have Maria in a position where she can actually afford to say something about the way he acts and treats his children and I wanted to have him feel so drawn to her that he accepts her inputs and criticism, though it won´t be that easy for she won´t appreciate that he only listens to her to please her- well, first interactions with the children in the next chapter- well, they will like her but that doesn´t mean that she´ll have an easy position within the family, she´s very young in here and the children are younger as well, so more demanding and not so accepting, especially the little ones- the older ones, especially Liesl and Louisa will rather see her as a sort of friend first, so there´s some trouble to come from that as well. Again, than you for commentating and sorry for the delay, I was on holiday.**

**Maria88: Thank you- Here is more now and I have more still to post this week- please keep reading and reviewing :D**

**addlogcon: Thank you- well, I think other than in the movie where she gets rather angry at him very quickly when she meets him here she sees a different side of him first, she hears about him loosing his wife before she actually meets him and feels sorry for him- she will learn about his other sides soon enough of course and there´ll be a lot of conflict coming from that when she refuses to give up on seeing him like she first met him and insists on that being his real self- here´s the next part now :)**

**Diamond and Stars: Hm, yes... Well, not so quickly this time, I´m sorry- hm- Georg von Trapp was 25 years older than Maria Kutschera in real life so it´s not THAT bad in here is it ;) Besides, hey- don´t you think that George Clooney or Mel Gibson or Hugh Grant are attractive? If you don´t put in the names of some other guys their age lol- there´ll be some interaction with the children soon, especially with Brigitta because she´s my favorite so I never can help but give her a little more room than the other´s- the singing thing will come up eventually of course :D Thanks again, here´s the next part now and I´m really sorry that there is some Elsa in it... **

_"I shouldn´t have said that."_

_His soft voice seemed to draw Maria back to the present and she looked up at him, waiting for him to explain his statement._

_"What I just said about balls- I shouldn´t tell you that they are not enjoyable to me, you are supposed to enjoy them and you clearly do and it´s not my place to ruin your joyous mood with my cynical one."_

_"Oh, you aren´t ruining anything, you are right- it is all very exciting and I did enjoy it but I also have to admit that I much rather had taken a walk through the Prater in the moonlight."_

_She looked sincere and Georg thought that there was much more to this enchanting young woman than just her looks and her innocent sweetness, she had a very deep and caring personality as well as an insight far beyond her years._

_"Me too, believe me- sometimes I really wander why I allow myself to be dragged here."_

_He realized that he hadn´t mentioned Elsa and that it had been her who had convinced him to come, at the time he had considered it as a sacrifice he would have to make from time to time if he wanted to built a relationship with the baroness, now that he wasn´t even sure he wanted to built that relationship at all his attendance would have seemed more than ever like a waste of time- had it not been for Maria._

_"So your cousin succeeded on the first attempt" he stated and Maria´s confusion made way for an affectionate smile._

_"You mean with Klaus?"_

_"Well, I suppose the reason for mothers to bring their daughters here hasn´t changed, has it? I met my late wife here- in my time this ball was the best opportunity for young women to find a eligible suitor."_

_Maria blushed lightly and looked down at her hands when she said "Yes, it seems to be that way- but Klara has always been attracting a lot of attention, she´s very lovely and pretty and possesses a kind nature and a passion for art and poems, most of our friends find that intriguing."_

_"And what are your passions" he inquired, then waited patiently for an answer as he gave her time to recover from her shock that he would ask her something so personal._

_"I have to admit I am not very interested in art- not in paintings and such anyway, I love music and dancing, I read a lot, too- and I like to be outside, what I love most is to be in the mountains."_

_There was a dreamy expression on her face and Georg found her even more endearing when she told him that she, just like him, adored the mountains and nature._

_He hadn´t thought about either for a rather long time, too many painful memories were invading his mind when he allowed himself to dwell on his home, Agathe and the children and what he had lost but right at this moment, while hearing Maria say that she loved them he felt a sudden longing to leave Vienna as soon as possible and go home, to see the mountains and the lake and to hear his children´s voices- would they be happy to see him?_

_He hadn´t exactly behaved in a very fatherly fashion in the last two years._

_"Captain?"_

_He looked up._

_"Yes?"_

_"Where are you- you look- lost."_

_He smiled lightly, amused once more how easily she seemed to read him._

_"You are right- I was thinking about home- and about the children. I´m afraid I havn´t been a very good father since Agathe died."_

_"You are running away, it´s understandable, I would probably be doing the same if I were you" she said plainly, finding just the right words to describe his inner turmoil accurately- she was right, that was exactly what he had been doing- he had been running away._

_From his memories, from his responsibilities, from the pain it caused him to see his children who resembled his wife and he shouldn´t continue doing it, he should go home and tell his children how much he loved him and yet he knew that all is good intentions would dissolve into nothingness the moment he would enter his house and hear Liesel´s voice and Louisa´s laugh and see Brigitta´s face and Gretl´s smile and Marthat´s hair and it would remind him of his wife so much his heart seemed to break inside his chest from the strain._

_"When my parents died I didn´t talk for weeks."_

_The quiet voice didn´t sound at all like the radiant, lively young woman next to him, rather like a scared child and Georg knew that she was reliving a very painful time in her life to make him feel better, sharing it with him to make him see that she understood his feelings, that he could look to her for support._

_"I was just sitting on my bed, holding a doll and I cried all the time- my aunt and uncle were really worried, the didn´t know what to do. Then one morning the door opened and Klara came in- she was five then, I was seven- and she climbed on my bed and hugged me and told me that she always had wanted a sister and that she was glad I was there- it still hurt a lot but I accepted that I wasn´t alone that day and I let my aunt and uncle become a part of my life, it got better, every day a little bit- it will always hurt to think of them but I have learned to look back at happy memories as well- you just have to let others show you that they want to be a part of your life, your children, you friends- there are people who care about you."_

_"How would you know that?"_

_He asked despite himself and Maria simply answered "Because I can´t see how anyone could not."_

_"What did I do to give you that devastatingly positive impression of me?"_

_Georg joked, trying to lighten the mood- he had by no means meant to spoil Maria´s first ball by moaning about his dislike of social events but she didn´t seem to be bothered at all, instead she started to smile._

_"Oh, I don´t know-"_

_"Georg, there you are, I was looking for you."_

_At the sight of Maria Baroness Schräder´s eyes narrowed slightly and her false cheerfulness was missing from her voice when she added "And who would this charming young lady be?"_

_The captain secretly cursed Elsa for interrupting his moment with Maria, then he smiled, thinking that he´d probably better simply answer the baroness´s question before the situation became awkward._

_"Elsa, this is Maria Rainer- Fräulein Reiner, Baroness Schräder."_

_"It is a pleasure to meet you, Baroness" Maria said politely, smiling at the other woman and Georg watched Elsa´s expression close even more._

_"How do you do, my Dear- your aunt talked about you and your cousin earlier, are you enjoying the ball?"_

_"Very much so, Baroness- I should go back inside, my family will be looking for you- please excuse me, Baroness- Captain."_

_She added, looking at Georg and his heart skipped a beat as her intense blue eyes met his._

_Then she was gone and he was left alone with Elsa who was looking at him expectantly._

_"Yes?"_

_He sounded irritated which of course wasn´t lost on her._

_"Would you mind not talking to me in that irritated voice? You have embarrassed me enough for one night already."_

_"And what exactly do you mean by that?"_

_He asked her testily, crossing his arms over his chest._

_"You do know very well what I mean, Georg- you have danced with this girl twice tonight and now I find you out her with her, all alone?"_

_"What is so horrible about that? This is a ball, people are supposed to dance- and as for being out her, there were other people here all the time."_

_"People might be supposed to be dancing but not you- usually, I have to beg you to dance with me at all."_

_"You are accusing me for dancing?"_

_"No- I am accusing you for flirting with that little girl all night long."_

_"I havn´t been flirting, Elsa- besides she is twenty years old, she is hardly a little girl."_

_"She´s barely six years older than your oldest daughter and not even old enough to be the mother of the youngest, you hardly can think-"_

_"I´m not thinking anything, Elsa, you are."_

_"Suit yourself but I´m warning you- I won´t allow you to play games with me."_

_He shrugged._

_"Fine."_

_"Fine?"_

_"Yes- if you don´t want to play games with me as you call it, all you have to do is going back inside."_

_She paled and Georg couldn´t help but smile sarcastically back at her._

_"What, not what you wanted to hear? I have told you before, Elsa, I won´t make any commitments yet- I need some time and if you want to take a chance and wait around it is your choice, I am not forcing you to do it, so don´t try and make me feel guilty."_

_"You are so impossible sometimes, Georg- I really could get the impression that you want to get rid of me."_

_She turned around to go back inside, not waiting for an answer and Georg had no other opportunity than to follow her, he didn´t want to embarrass her on purpose and of course she was right, his behaviour this evening would cause people to talk and he´d better start to behave normally before any of that talk would reach Maria´s uncle- or even worse Maria herself._


	6. Chapter 6

"Where have you been?"

Klara looked suspiciously at Maria who vaguely replied "Just outside."

"And talking to Captain von Trapp, right?"

"Can´t I talk to him?"

"Of course you can but it has just been talking why are you so defensive?"

Maria was spared the answer by her aunt and uncle arriving back at the table.

"Girls, we´ll be going home soon- are you coming with us or do you want to stay, I can send Heinrich back for you later."

"I´ll come with you, Papa- Maria?"

"Yes, me too, I´m really tired."

---

"And remember, don´t do anything that could give anyone a reason to talk."

Katharina Rainer told her daughetr who was standing next to the car with them to bid them goodbye.

"Katharina, leave her alone, it´s a good thing if she and the young man get to know each other a little better before we meet him officially, now get in please, we are going to be late."

Maria, who had been watching the exchange in silence, hugged her cousin.

"So have fun and tell Klaus to treat you properly."

She joked and Klara laughed.

"Of course, I will tell him that he´ll have to answer to you otherwise- Maria, don´t do anything rash, will you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just that you are looking far too pretty in this dress and that I´m worried about you."

"It´s just a visit, Klara and I´m not alone, what should happen?"

"You know perfectly well what-"

"Maria, come on, Darling."

The voice of her mother interrupted Klara and she lt go of Maria who briefly kissed her cousin´s cheek before getting into the car.

---

Georg von Trapp was pacing his entrance hall, glancing at his watch every few seconds.

He wasn´t even sure if he wanted time to go faster or slow down, he was terrified to think how he might react upon seeing her and on the other hand he couldn´t wait and longer- he didn´t know what to do though, he would have to remain perfectly formal in front of her aunt and uncle, there was no way to give any sign that he had second thoughts about her and then of course he didn´t know if Maria even had thought about him in the past week, as far as he knew she might have someone who courted her, she hadn´t mentioned that she wanted to accompany her aunt and uncle for any other reason than to get out of Vienna for a nice weekend in the country after all.

Georg´s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car approaching- he had told the children´s governess, Fräulein Magret, to keep the children in their study room until it was time for lunch, he had thought it to be sest if he greeted his guests first, his children were always good for unpleasant surprises- he somehow suspected it had something to do with the fact that he was so remarkable absent in their lives.

He spend a lot of time in Vienna and when he was at home he usually was busy with work- it wasn´t that he didn´t love his children, he simply didn´t really know what to do with them, it had been Agathe who had been close to the children, who had comforted and encouraged them, laughed with them and read them bedtime stories and he ahd been the strict father the children had admired but feared at the same time.

The captain opened the door and approached the car where the Rainer´s chauffeur was just opened in the doors.

Johann helped his wife out and Georg quickly rounded the car and extended his hand to Maria.

She took it, looking a little surprised but she smiled at him all the same and Georg felt his heart pound very fast in his chest- this was ridiculous, he was too old for this and yet it felt wonderful, too.

He quickly kissed her hand before turning to her aunt and uncle.

Maria tried hard to keep her breathing steady, he had only kissed her hand and already her mind was whirling and spinning out of control.

How was she supposed to survive the whole weekend in his company?

She took the arm he was offering her and allowed herself to be led up the front steps, then her eyes widened at the sheer beauty of the entrance hall.

"This is magnificent" she breathed, causing Georg to smile proudly.

"Thank you, I´m glad it finds your approval- would you all like to go upstairs and freshen up a little before lunch?"

Maria´s aunt nodded but before anyone could say anything else a small girl with long dark hair had appeared on top of the stairs and at the sight of her father and his guests stood frozen, obviously undecided what to do.

"Brigitta."

The captain´s voice suddenly sounded sharp and Maria looked at him surprised, she hadn´t heard that kind of tone from him before and it most certainly didn´t seem to be the right one to address his daughter.

The girl came slowly down the stairs and halted in front of her father.

"What are you doing outside of the study room?"

The captain asked, looking down at the child disapprovingly.

"I was looking for Frau Schmidt" the girl replied quietly, avoiding her father´s gaze.

"Why on earth are you out here looking for the housekeeper?"

"Fräulein Helga said I should braid my hair but I can´t do it properly."

Maria didn´t wait for the captain´s reply but stepped between him and the little girl with a bright smile on her face.

"Hello Brigitta, I´m Maria- shall I help you braid your hair? I´m rather good at it, I used to braid my sister´s a lot when we were younger."

The girl looked up at her hesitantly, then her eyes wandered to her father´s face before she looked back at Maria who had extended her hand.

"I will be back" Maria told her host resolutely before taking Brigitta´s hand and beginning to climb the stairs with the child.

"Father won´t be happy now" Brigitta told her as they entered a bedroom the girl obviously shared with two of her sisters.

"Why not?"

"You are a guest, you shouldn´t have to be up here and help me."

"Aw Darling, I like to help you- besides it´s merely impossible to braid such thick hair with your small hands."

She took the small comb the girl was offering her and gently started to part the dark locks before braiding them neatly.


End file.
